Published on 03/12/2025
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has revived the Kampala Water and Sanitation Forum, a multi-stakeholder platform first formed in 2012 intended to improve coordination and strengthen the city’s response to sanitation and hygiene challenges.
The Forum, led by KCCA’s Directorate of Public Health and Environment, will bring together government agencies, utilities, development partners and private operators to guide investments and strategy for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services across the capital.
“This Forum is central to how we reshape sanitation in Kampala,” said Dr. Sarah K. Zalwango, KCCA’s Director of Public Health and Environment. “Strong coordination and shared accountability are essential if we are going to deliver safe, inclusive sanitation for all residents.”
To relaunch the initiative, KCCA is hosting a two-day workshop from December 2–3 at Royal Suites in Bugolobi. The first day will be dedicated to validating the Forum’s revised Terms of Reference, while the second will focus on strengthening data management systems that guide sanitation planning a shift toward more evidence-based, citywide decision-making.
The Forum was previously central to several landmark achievements in Kampala’s sanitation sector. It birthed Weyonje, a behavioural change campaign that gained national prominence for promoting handwashing and safe household hygiene.
It also supported development of the Gulper, a low-cost pit emptying technology that improved access to fecal sludge management in low-income settlements, and contributed to the drafting of the Kampala Sanitation Ordinance, which established new regulations for sanitation service providers.
Dr. Zalwango, reactivating the Forum aligns with KCCA’s broader push to modernize the city’s WASH systems. By the year 2030 the Authority plans to increase solid waste collection efficiency from 55% to 75%, raise recycling from 0.19% to 30%, and procure 30 new garbage trucks to strengthen collection.
“We are making serious investments in waste management because sanitation is not just a health issue, it is a dignity issue,” she said. “Our target is a cleaner city, safer communities and public spaces that reflect the Kampala we all want to live in.”
KCCA is also expanding sanitation facilities in schools, health centers, public parks and markets, alongside renewed behavior-change and handwashing campaigns.
Dr. Zalwango said the Forum will help ensure these investments translate into measurable improvements. “We want every child in school to access a safe toilet, every market to have proper facilities, and every community to benefit from responsible waste disposal,” she said. “This Forum gives us the structure to make that happen.”
According to Dr. Swaib Semiyaga, a sanitation expert, the Forum’s rebirth reflects a strategic shift: “Kampala can no longer afford fragmented interventions. Having a shared platform helps align investments, track data more consistently, and ensure that sanitation services reach communities that need them most.”
Sanitation experts say the coordinated approach could be critical for Kampala, where population growth, informal settlements and climate pressures continue to strain existing systems.
“We know the challenges,” Dr. Zalwango added. “Now we are choosing to confront them together, and to do so with clarity, data and commitment.”
